You'll Be Alright
by chellethebelle
Summary: One shot based off 3x10. Elena's thoughts on deciding to have Jeremy compelled to leave. Set to the song Safe and Sound by Taylor Swift.


**Ok who else cried a river in the last scene with Elena and Jeremy in 3x10? Gah. It was horrible. **

**So I was inspired by the song Safe and Sound by Taylor Swift (off The Hunger Games soundtrack). I cried while writing it.**

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><p><strong>I remember tears streaming down your face<strong>

**When I said, I'll never let you go**

She took a deep breath before tapping lightly on her baby brother's door frame. She could feel Alaric and Damon behind her, supporting her, and that kept her going.

"Can we talk?" She asked as Jeremy turned away from his dresser. He let out a heavy sigh.

"Yeah, what did I do now?" He asked exasperated while moving to sit on his bed.

She prepared herself for what she was about to do. Her heart was breaking with every breath she took. If it wasn't for Alaric and Damon, she'd turn around and run the other way pretending that she only wanted to say goodnight and that she loved him. She couldn't run now.

**When all those shadows almost killed your light**

**I remember you said, Don't leave me here alone**

**But all that's dead and gone and passed tonight**

She had to be the responsible one. She had to save him. She couldn't lose her last living family member, not like that, not to _him_. He was sixteen, he shouldn't be running from centuries old vampires. He should be playing video games and asking girls out.

Girls that weren't already dead.

"I've been thinking about what you said earlier, about how we should pack up and go," she said, taking a few steps into his room.

She had to admit, the thought sounded appealing. Even if it was a fantasy, not something realistic for her. Her bloodlines made it impossible for her to disappear without being found.

"Elena, I didn't mean any of that," he said, guilt all over his face. She knew he'd never really meant it. He'd never leave her alone in this mess.

That was exactly the problem.

"But you were right," she urged on, crossing her arms over her chest to keep from falling apart, "You shouldn't have to give up normal life just because of me."

She saw things start clicking in his head.

"What's going on?" He asked suspiciously, eyeing Damon over her shoulder.

**Just close your eyes**

**The sun is going down**

**You'll be alright**

**No one can hurt you now**

**Come morning light**

**You and I'll be safe and sound**

"Your sister thinks we should have another one of our talks," Damon said as he entered the room.

She watched Damon move through the room and sit down next to her brother. She was surprised that he'd agreed to do it without much resistance.

**Don't you dare look out your window darling**

**Everything's on fire**

She had a hard enough time keeping it together while cleaning the bloodied butcher knife her brother used on the hybrid. The whole day had been one big mess. She told him about Rebekah. He hadn't reacted how she'd imagined. He was soft, gentle almost. He understood her reasons and didn't question her. They were truly a team now.

"My brother just chopped off someone's head," she told him, relieved to finally have someone else to lay this on, "It's not right. It's not fair, he's sixteen years old. He shouldn't have to live like this."

She could feel the tears she had been fighting finally start making their presence known. She turned away from Damon and back to the sink before they could fall. She could unload almost anything on him, but she wouldn't cry in front of him. Not today. Not now.

"There has to be another way," she said out loud, but mostly to herself, "We have to fix it."

"We will," Damon said quickly, but the honesty in his voice made her believe him. It also helped her tears fight their way down her face.

She tried to keep them at bay, frantically and almost aggressively scrubbing the knife in her sink.

"Hey," she could feel him behind her. One hand landed softly on her hip and the other turned off the faucet. He spun her to face him and she could no longer hide the fear and exhaustion from the day.

"We will," he repeated, taking her face in his hands. They were so gentle and loving that it set her heart fluttering despite the horrendous events of the day.

All she could do was nod.

And then an idea. Something Jeremy had said to her that day popped into her mind.

"Compel him," she said quietly.

His face went from confusion to shock and then to apprehension.

"You remember what happened last time," he said hesitantly.

"Today Jeremy said that maybe we'd be better off if we just packed up and disappeared and I think he's right," Elena explained. Understanding dawned on his face. She was grateful that they were so in tuned to each other that she didn't have to elaborate.

"You want me to compel him to leave," Damon said. It wasn't a question.

Her eyes filled with tears at the thought of her brother leaving. She nodded at Damon and his eyes softened even further at her despair.

"Ok," he whispered as his hands left her face and pulled her into his chest. A motion he had never done in over a century. He hadn't voluntarily hugged someone in so long. Too long. He hadn't realized how much she needed it until she rested her head on his chest and he heard her soft sob.

**The war outside our door keeps raging on**

**Hold onto this lullaby**

**Even when the music's gone**

She saw the understanding on her brothers face as Damon turned to him.

"Here's the thing, Jer," Damon said softly and waited until Jeremy turned to look at him. She knew this was the moment he made his choice. When he turned to look at Damon she knew he was trusting her. He was trusting that maybe this time she really did know best.

"You're going to go out of town for a while- a long while," Damon continued. With every word he spoke she felt the gaping hole in her chest growing. She knew this was the right thing to do, but that didn't make it any easier.

"You're going to stay with some nice family friends in Denver. You're going to be at a new school, meet new girls- living girls. You're going to drink a few beers, take an art class, do whatever you want," Damon explained.

**Just close your eyes**

**The sun is going down**

**You'll be alright**

The words Damon was saying brought images to her mind. Happy ones. Jeremy at his school, finding a good group of art student friends. Finding a girlfriend. Falling in love.

"Tell him he's going to leave Mystic Falls behind and never think twice about it," Alaric interrupted from behind her.

Damon looked at her with questioning eyes, silently asking for her ok.

The thought was earth shattering. She was in Mystic Falls. He'd leave her behind and never think twice about it. The thought was almost too hard to bear, but then she thought of Klaus and the impending doom that followed her where ever she went.

**No one can hurt you now**

**Come morning light**

**You and I'll be safe and sound**

She gave Damon a small nod.

"You're going to leave Mystic Falls behind and never think twice about it," Damon repeated.

The tears were falling freely now as she fought to keep her self from stopping Damon and taking it all back. It was a selfish thought, not one she'd act on. Jeremy deserved better.

He deserved to live.

"You're going to have a better life, Jeremy," Damon finished.

His final words left hope in her heart and she had no doubt he had only added them for her benefit.

He would have a better life.

**Just close your eyes**

**You'll be alright**

**Come morning light,**

**You and I'll be safe and sound**

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><p><strong>I know. It's depressing. It was such a beautiful scene though.<strong>

**For those reading my other fic, Remember When, I'm currently writing chapter 13! Never fear!**

**Thanks for reading and let me know what you thought! It makes me incredibly happy!**


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